Liner hanger with collapsible ball valve seat

Abstract

A selectively releasable valve in a wiper plug releasably attached to a hydraulic setting tool for a liner hanger in a well bore where the valve has an annular valve seat member having collapsible finger members for sealingly receiving a ball member. The valve seat member is movable under predetermined hydraulic pressure to shift and expand the finger members to release the ball member. The valve seat member is retained in the wiper plug.

We claim: 
     
       1. A hydraulically operated setting tool for use in hanging tubular linears on a linear hanger in a casing in a well bore, said setting tool having a central bore; hydraulic means in said setting tool,   wiper plug means for wiping the wall of a linear, said wiper plug means being releasably attached to the lower end of said setting tool,   said hydraulic means being responsive to a first hydraulic pressure in said central bore prior to release of the wiper plug means where such first hydraulic pressure produces a setting function in the setting tool for hanging a linear hanger,   said wiper plug means including (a) a tubular housing defining a plug bore, said tubular housing being adapted for releasable coupling to one end of said setting tool for alignment of the plug bore with said central bore,   (b) elastomer wiper elements disposed on said tubular housing for wiping the wall of a linear,   (c) a longitudinally movable, tubular inner valve member disposed in said plug bore of said tubular housing, said inner valve member having a ring element with depending resilient finger members terminating at enlarged end members, said end members and said tubular housing, in a first longitudinal position, contacting one another for positioning said end members in a contracted position within said tubular housing, said end members in said contracted position defining a contracted valve seat with respect to said inner valve member in said first longitudinal position for receiving a sealing ball member,   (d) said tubular housing having an annular internal recess in said plug bore, said internal recess being displaced along said plug bore in a position longitudinally displaced relative to said end members in said first longitudinal position,   (e) said internal recess being sized for receiving said end members when said inner valve member is released and moved to a second longitudinal position so that said end members are movable into said annular recess for expanding said contracted valve seat to the size of the plug bore, and   (f) release means for releasably interconnecting said inner valve member to outer tubular housing in said first longitudinal positional position, said release means being operable in response to receipt of a sealing ball member in said contracted valve seat and a second, different hydraulic pressure in said plug bore.     
     
     
       2. The setting tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said end members in said contracted position have adjacent side surfaces arranged to contact one another and have inner surfaces which define a circular valve seat bore. 
     
     
       3. The setting tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said release means includes an annular seating groove in the outer surface of said inner valve member, and expandable resilient ring disposed in a contracted condition in said annular seating groove in said first longitudinal position of said inner valve member in said tubular housing and inter-engaging said valve member and said housing, a pressure responsive element in said housing for releasably retaining said resilient ring in said retracted condition, and a shear element releasably connecting said pressure responsive element to said tubular housing. 
     
     
       4. A hydraulically operated setting tool for use in hanging liners on a linear hanger in a casing in a well bore: said setting tool having a central bore, hydraulic means in said setting tool,   tubular wiper plug means for wiping the wall of a linear,   said hydraulic means being responsive to a first hydraulic pressure in said central bore prior to release of a wiper plug means where such first hydraulic pressure produces a setting function in said setting tool for hanging a linear hanger,   said wiper plug means being releasably attached to the lower end of said setting tool and having a plug bore,   pressure operated valve means disposed in said plug bore of said wiper plug means, said valve means having a longitudinal movable tubular member defining a restricted bore in a first longitudinal position, said restricted bore being sized for receiving a sealing member for closing said restricted bore so that a first hydraulic pressure can be used to producing the setting function in said setting tool,   shear means responsive to a second pretermined hydraulic pressure when a sealing member is disposed in said restricted bore in said tubular member for releasing said tubular member for longitudinal movement from said first longitudinal position to a second longitudinal position in the wiper plug means,   said wiper plug means and said valve element being constructed and arranged for releasing a sealing member from said restricted bore in said second longitudinal position while retaining said tubular member in said wiper plug means.   
     
     
       5. The setting tool as set forth in claim 4 wherein said wiper plug means has a tubular catcher means disposes below said tubular member for catching said tubular member and also has a pocket recess means for retaining a sealing member separate from said tubular member. 
     
     
       6. The setting tool as defined in claim 4 wherein said tubular member has depending resilient finger members defining said restricted bore when contracted in a first longitudinal position and which define a full opening bore when extended, said finger members being constructed and arranged in said plug bore of said wiper plug means for extending to a full opening bore in said second longitudinal position. 
     
     
       7. A method for operating a hydraulic operated setting tool on a string of pipe for hanging a well linear in a well bore where the setting tool is actuated by a first hydraulic pressure and includes hydraulic means responsive to a first hydraulic pressure for producing a setting function in said setting tool, and where hydraulically releasable valve means responsive to a second hydraulic pressure are located in a tubular wiper plug member attached to said setting tool at a location at the end of the setting tool below said hydraulic means and where said valve means has an inner tubular member with a valve seat and is mounted for relative longitudinal movement between first and second longitudinal positions in said tubular wiper plug member, the method comprising the steps of: dropping a sealing member in the string of pipe for seating on the valve seat of the inner tubular member for closing the valve means;   applying first hydraulic pressure to said closed valve means for producing a setting function in said setting tool;   changing said first hydraulic pressure relative to said closed valve means to another and different hydraulic pressure for releasing said valve means by moving said inner tubular member longitudinally between the first and second longitudinal positions;   removing the sealing member from the valve seat of said inner tubular member for releasing said different hydraulic pressure from the bore of the inner tubular member; and   retaining said inner tubular member in said wiper plug member.